ISLAMABAD: World leaders – including Pakistan Prme Minister Nawaz Sharif, President Mamnoon Hussain, Afghanistan’s president and CEO – on Saturday morning came out in strong condemnation of the Paris attacks Friday night which have so far left at least 120 dead and a further 200 injured – 80 of whom are serious.
President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Saturday strongly condemned the terror attacks in Paris that killed at least 178 people and injured more than 200.
The president expressing solidarity with the French people said terrorists are enemies of humanity. He said terrorism is an international phenomenon and a joint strategy should be thrashed out for its complete eradication.
In a condolence message issued by the Prime Minister House, Sharif said Pakistan stands firm behind the people and Government of France in this hour. He said Pakistan stands firm behind the people and Government of France in this hour and extends its support to bring the perpetrators to justice.
In a separate statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson also expressed heartfelt sympathies and deepest condolences to the bereaved families. He said Pakistani nation stands with the French people in their hour of grief and prayed for speedy recovery of the injured. The spokesperson condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attacks and said the ongoing killings by terrorists of civilians around the world is an unforgivable crime.
He said the Paris attacks show that terrorism has no borders and that terrorists are the enemy of everyone. He said that terrorism was a common regional threat.
Ghani also passed on his condolences to the French President Francois Hollande and said that Afghans feel the pain of terrorism and the people of France more than anyone else.
Afghan CEO Abdullah Abdullah took to twitter early Saturday and said: “Afghanistan condemns the terrorist attacks that killed innocent people in Paris. Our hearts and prayers go to families and friends of the victims.”
He went on to say: “We condole and sympathize with the government and people of France.”
Abdullah also branded the attacks as “brutal, barbaric and coward attacks (which) show that terrorists have no religion, belief or ethnicity. Global efforts must eliminate terrorism.”
“Terrorism, fundamentalism and extremism are our common challenges and threatening all. We together need collective efforts to fight such mentalities,” he said.
Meanwhile in a message to Hollande, the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also condemned the attacks. He said: “Terrorist attacks, which killed and wounded a lot of innocent people in Paris, caused great sorrow and grief.”
“I, on behalf of the great Iranian nation which has been a victim of scourge of terrorism, strongly condemn the anti-human crimes and condole the mourning French nation and government.”
He went on to say that “without a doubt, the most important message following these kinds of incidents is more serious resolve and determination in all-out combat against terrorist groups.”
U.S President Barack Obama also issued his condolences and condemned the attacks. He said: “The U.S will do whatever it takes to work with France to bring terrorists to justice.”
U.K Prime Minister David Cameron also issued an early statement and said: “I am shocked by events in Paris tonight. Our thoughts and prayers are with the French people. We will do whatever we can to help.”
The Pakistan government was also quick to issue a statement condemning the attacks.
“The people and government of Pakistan wish to convey their heartfelt sympathies and deepest condolences to the bereaved families and the people and Government of France. We stand with them in their hour of grief. We pray for speedy recovery of the injured,” read their statement. “Pakistan reiterates its condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” they stated.
Latest reports indicate that as many as 120 people were killed and over 200 injured in a number of suicide attacks around the city on Friday night. Eight attackers were confirmed dead by officials.
A state of emergency has also been declared in France.
Reports indicate that gunmen and bombers attacked restaurants, a concert hall and a sports stadium at locations across Paris on Friday, killing up to 120 people in a deadly rampage that a shaken Hollande called an unprecedented terrorist attack.
A Paris city hall official said four gunmen systematically slaughtered at least 87 young people attending a rock concert at the Bataclan music hall. Anti-terrorist commandos eventually launched an assault on the building. The gunmen detonated explosive belts and dozens of shocked survivors were rescued.
Some 40 more people were killed in five other attacks in the Paris region, the city hall official said, including an apparent double suicide bombing outside the national stadium, where Hollande and the German foreign minister were watching a friendly soccer international. Some 200 people were injured.
Paris Public Prosecutor Francois Molins said eight assailants had also died, seven of whom had blown themselves up with explosive belts at various locations, while one had been shot dead by police.
“The terrorists, the murderers raked several cafe terraces with machine-gun fire before entering (the concert hall). There were many victims in terrible, atrocious conditions in several places,” police prefect Michel Cadot told reporters. NNI
